This world belongs to Kendare Blake, but the characters are original.
17 days before the Quickening
Leia joined the circle and looked at her siblings.
Calista, calm and collected.
Cadence, tears pricking at the sisters she couldn't remember.
Caitlyn, scared, but with a black jaguar prowling at her feet.
All eyes swivel to Leia, and her footsteps seemed unbearably loud in the silence.
Cadence was the first one to shatter it.
"Is it true? That you knew about us? All that time when we were in the Black Cottage?"
"Yes," Leia managed, looking back at Nakhti and stroking her poison filled mane. Nahkti was silent like the rest of the room, and her silence unnerved Leia, but it was probably just Nakhti responding to her emotions.
"And that you have all five gifts?" Caityn asked timidly.
"Yes," Leia repeated, louder this time.
"Can I pet her?" Caitlyn requested, gesturing towards Nakhti.
Before Leia answered, Calista spoke. "Her mane is full of poison, and her breath is poisonous, though it is very weak." Leia looked over to Calista, where she stands, still and unmoving, almost not believing that she spoke.
"How-" Leia started.
"I'm a poisoner, gifted with war. I can detect the poison in here. The war gift partially enhances my senses," Calista explained, face still stone-cold. Then, she turned to Ehaj, who Leia didn't even realize was in the room with them. "Why did you put us together?" Calista asked.
Ehaj, rousing from her corner, answered. "You four are to decide what you want for your Ascension Year. Either all four of you fight each other, or we kill all but one of you and have a White-Handed Queen."
"All but one," Calista mused. "You mean all but Leia."
Ehaj shrugged. "We don't know for sure if she's actually the Blue Queen or if one of you are. Reyena could be lying. So, it would be up to you four. Basically a fight to the death, but before the Ascension Year, and in this tower. Last option is killing one of you now, and the last three fight during the Ascension Year. Again, it's' up to you four. I'll come back later for an answer. If you want lunch, there will be a servant outside."
Calista looked around, as Leia's heart raced like Nakhti. Calista would try and make the terms even or kill her, Caitlyn would try and make it even, and Cadence would probably go for being a White-Handed Queen. Either way, she knew they should all fight during the Ascension Year, like normal, just with four queens.
...
Calista thought as her sisters rustled in their dresses. It would be easiest to just have them executed right now, but her mother was also White-Handed, and she didn't want to be the second in a row, overshadowed by her mother. Besides, a queen had never been hidden before, and the four of them were some of the strongest queens in Fennbirn's history.
"We should just fight like it's a normal Ascension Year," Caitlyn suggested, voice small.
Before Cadence or Calista can disagree, Leia spoke up.
"I think that's a great idea. After all, it's none of our faults, so the Ascension Year should just go as planned."
"You're just delaying your deaths then," Calista said confidently, and Cadence smirks in approval.
"Someone's overconfident," Leia muttered.
"And someone's too powerful to exist," Calista snapped back. "I know you have all five gifts at your disposal. Someone like you is bound to go mad, even with queensblood."
"What about you?" Leia responded sharply. "War and poisoner?"
"Two gifts is heard of. But five?"
"Be quiet!" Cadence shouted.
"Not you, too!" Leia shrieked, not realizing Cadence was trying to stop it. "Oracle and elemental!"
"Yah, queens can deal with two gifts," Cadence roared, Leia making her angry. "But all five gifts is impossible, even with queensblood!"
Behind Leia, Nakhti snorted and pawed at the ground, clearly feeling Leia's distress.
Caitlyn shrunk into herself as Leia, Cadence, and Calista started shouting at each other.
At some point, Calista realized that their argument wasn't going anywhere, and dropped out silently, letting Cadence and Leia keep arguing.
"You," she said, opening the door and addressing the servant. "We would like lunch now. We're still..." Calista looked back at her sisters. "Deciding."
"How do I know you won't poison your sisters?" The servant asked.
Calista sighed. "I don't have poison on me," Calista responded truthfully. "Besides, Ehaj said it would be okay. And one more thing," she added as the servant is done checking her sleeves and pockets for poison. "Please give Isa this."
She handed the servant a slip of paper. The servant unfolded it, but inside was just the letter 'a'. The servant looked suspicious, but still agreed and disappeared down the steep steps. Calista smiled to herself, then shut the door.
...
Isa excused herself from the tense waiting room as soon as she got the note. Plan A.
She slipped down to the kitchens where four bowls of soup were being prepared on a black tray.
"I'll have some hemlock wine," she told the cook. He nodded and dashed off to please her. When she took the wine, she made sure to drop poison in each bowl secretly. The poor fool didn't notice anything.
Even if there were poison testers here, the poison wouldn't act up for several days, or even weeks, slowly causing the victim to weaken. Calista was immune to it, obviously. Isa and Calista just had to hope Leia wasn't. Calista had brewed it specially for her sisters, but she couldn't administer it, for it would make Ehaj suspicious. Thalia, Eve, and Elle had all told Isa that Leia had all five gifts, so Calista had to make a strong poison that didn't act up right away. It had taken her all day and night.
...
High Priestess Ehaj watched as Isa returned, slipping into her seat with a goblet. It was probably tainted, so Ehaj sent someone down to test the soup. They don't sicken or die, so Ehaj took that as a good sign.
...
Gia Milone watched anxiously as soup was brought up for the girls. Caitlyn was in there. If any of them were forced to die today, it would probably be her.
Lyr tensed, clenching her teeth. Gia knew how close Caitlyn and Lyr were, it was as if they were sisters, and if she was scared, what Lyr must be feeling. Even though Ora and Caitlyn were never close, Ora still looked nervous. All three of them were praying to the Goddess in hopes Caitlyn would survive the day.